Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1951: 1444: Ambush (Part 2)

As the Elders openly declared the approach of an army of Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts totaling thirty thousand strong, chaos exploded across the entire stronghold in an instant.

“Damn it! Why didn’t you mention sooner that the foes were this formidable? Had I realized, I never would’ve shown up and squandered my time here!”

“Right, right!”

“Hurry, let’s escape—don’t let this conflict pull us under!”

Nearly right away, numerous cultivators went ashen with fear, shaking in dread. They said nothing more, whirled about, and fled, like savage creatures were hot on their heels, tripping in haste toward the spatial rift.

The Li family cultivators, informed well in advance, simply observed with icy detachment. Provided those folks didn’t hurl abuse or defamation at the Li family, the Li cultivators stayed out of it.

“Tch!”

“What a pack of spineless idiots! Weren’t you aware risks were involved? Now you’re just hunting for a way to slink off without losing face.”

For every group gripped by fear, others buzzed with thrill—eager and raring, already dreaming of the spoils they’d reap from the impending clash!

Witnessing those craven weaklings, so pitiful and laughable, a few couldn’t resist chuckling and tossing out some barbs.

“Who do you think you are? If you’ve got the nerve, come forward and we’ll hash this out! Show us if you even qualify to spout that nonsense!”

The escaping cultivators felt humiliated already; now exposed, their expressions darkened further as they geared up to punish the mockers and reclaim some pride.

“Bring it! Who’s scared of whom!”

At once, a handful of cultivators advanced, brimming with disdain, jeering, “No surprise you lack the spine to face those Outer Realm Creatures—all your bravado gets wasted on us.”

“You! Drop dead!”

After endless taunts, one cultivator lost his temper completely and lashed out right there—a fiery blast erupted from his palm, streaking toward the target.

“Stop it!”

The Li family, who’d been watching impassively, bellowed and shattered the flames with a quick gesture.

They shot stern looks at the departing cultivators and warned, “You’d best scram fast, or once the fight kicks off, the spatial rift seals shut. Then you’ll be stuck, no matter how much you beg!”

At those words, the cultivators’ faces turned even stormier, yet they held their tongues, trudging toward the spatial rift with grim scowls.

Once the commotion died down, the formerly packed stronghold cleared out noticeably.

On this occasion, more than a thousand folks fled in terror.

In truth, the ones remaining weren’t without fear—they simply craved greater rewards than others, so they held their ground.

Moments dragged on endlessly. What usually flew by in a flash now crawled at a torturous pace!

As the Demon Cultivator and Devil Beast forces neared for the showdown to ignite, over ten thousand clansmen and rogue cultivators fidgeted with mounting tension and worry.

Even though potential morale-breakers and spirit-sappers among the cultivators had been chased off, idle waiting only fueled restlessness the most.

Dong dong dong——

All at once, a crisp, soothing bell rang through the stronghold, gentle as a zephyr, swiftly dispelling the gloom weighing on hearts; many cultivators found themselves unwinding from it.

Minutes faded away unnoticed, and two hours later, a shadowy mass emerged far off, drifting steadily closer.

“They’ve arrived!”

Li Zhirui materialized out of thin air, his voice empowered by mana, ringing clearly in every clansman’s ears: “All of you, prepare yourselves!”

Per the Li family’s scheme, just three to four thousand cultivators showed openly; the rest concealed themselves in beds or other spots, all set to spring a trap on the Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts.

At the same time—

The vast cloud formation of tens of thousands of Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts inched toward the Li family stronghold.

“We’re nearly there!”

That brief remark jolted every slumbering Demon Cultivator and Devil Beast awake.

“Ga ga ga! At last, I’m dying to sample the meat and gore of these Outer Realm cultivators!” A particular Devil Beast’s features contorted into a hideous leer; its jaws parted, unleashing a foul stench that could stagger anyone nearby.

“Curious if these cultivators can endure our follow-up strike.”

“What a drag—this level of opposition hardly warrants the buildup. Total squandering of my valuable moments.”

Regardless of sneers, anticipation, or whatever else stirred them, they’d reached the spot—and planted themselves there!

Rumble rumble——

Before they could settle in, rays of spiritual radiance lanced skyward from the stronghold beneath, intent on ripping them to shreds.

The abrupt ambush caused real harm, though minor.

Roughly a few dozen perished, the feeblest ones.

“Hahahahaha… Seems that’s the extent of their power!”

The outcome sparked wild laughter among the Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts; they found it hard to fathom such feeble resistance.

“Word was the Immortal Tao once assaulted this stronghold, yet couldn’t claim it and took severe casualties. Now it’s clear those cultivators were feeble as well—no shock they fell to Outer Realm Creatures.”

“Given their frailty, I’m almost reluctant to bother hitting them.”

Demon Cultivators’ natures are volatile and warped; even against forces, they’d blurt such foolish drivel—a sight both odd and striking.

Naturally, inwardly they grasped it—the defenders seemed feeble not from any true weakness.

Without real might, how could they have crushed the Immortal Tao?

The explanation was straightforward: they were exploiting the absence of key Outer Realm powerhouses, like that Female Sword Cultivator, to target the vulnerable.

The fact they’d rallied thirty thousand for this assault showed their underlying nerves and caution.

If they’d truly dismissed the stronghold’s threat, no such massive force would’ve been needed.

Having scouted and spotted only slightly over three thousand cultivators present, with negligible power, most Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts eased up, bordering on ennui.

Yet they remained oblivious—the true peril loomed right at their doorstep!

Within the stronghold, Li Zhirui held back initially, since few outsiders knew of him. After all, prior locals aware of his presence had all met their end by his hand.

Rather, he lurked in the shadows, assessing the demon horde’s state.

He, together with the several thousand concealed cultivators, planned to each deliver one crushing Killing Move against the foes—and with just that single shot, precision was essential, no room for errors.

Spotting numerous Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts loosening their guard upon deeming the stronghold feeble, Li Zhirui recognized the perfect moment!

‘Xiu Ting, Xiu Jiang, Chonglou… alert everyone: ready your mightiest Killing Move in thirty breaths—strike the demon forces!’

Contacting each hidden individual directly was impossible—thousands existed, and though his Spiritual Soul was potent, it wasn’t practical.

Attempting it would drain him utterly, leaving nothing for the Killing Move itself.

Fortunately, preparations were set in advance; Li Zhirui merely had to signal select clan kin, who’d spread the word further.

‘Understood!’

Li Xiuting and her peers swiftly relayed the orders to their groups of hundreds each.

Then they set about charging their Killing Moves, poised to unleash them all at once!

Li Zhirui locked eyes on the Demon Cultivators at Human Immortality Realm. Regarding Human Immortal Devil Beasts, he doubted a one-hit kill—but against Demon Cultivators, his confidence ran deep!